Location: Portland
Top Restaurants in Portland
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Most Popular Italian food in Portland, Maine, United States
Find out what Italian restaurants to try in Portland. From ornate mansions to ocean views, this charming city - the largest in Maine - will enchant you. Saunter down the brick sidewalks and cobblestone streets of the revitalized Old Port District, where you can browse through bookstores, explore craft shops and eat to your heart's content. Visit the Portland Head Light, which dates back to 1791, and is the oldest lighthouse still in continuous use in the U.S. The great poet Henry Wadsworth Longfellow is the city's native son, and you can visit his childhood home, the Wadsworth-Longfellow House. With kids in hand, enjoy the highly interactive Children's Museum of Maine. And then go next door to the calmer Portland Museum of Art, a small, but eclectic museum with Impressionist works, Maine landscapes by Homer and Wyeth and other collections. Land or sea is an option here, so if you're tired of the street life, take one of the popular scenic cruises or whale watches, or hop on a ferry to the islands in Casco Bay. At the end of the day, and without kids in hand, unwind and rest your tired feet at one of the city's brewpubs.
Things to do in Portland
9. The Corner Room Kitchen & Bar
Overall Ratings
4 based on 422 reviews
If you're looking for the best Italian restaurant in Portland, Me you have come to the right place! The Corner Room features affordable, Italian-inspired food that the whole family will enjoy.Chef Lee Harding has dedicated his life to bringing locally gro
Reviewed By justwarren
A most pleasant atmosphere greets you at the door. This is not a fancy place, but very warm, comfortable and welcoming. I ate at the bar with a colleague. We were in town on business. Just looking for a place to relax and have a good meal. We sat at the bar. The bartender, Wesley put on a show as he effortlessly mixed a wide variety of exotic looking drinks while checking in with all of his patrons at the bar. The food was excellent! I had a chicken parm dinner with pasta. It was delicious! I'm definitely going back here in the future!
8. Slab
Overall Ratings
4 based on 188 reviews
Reviewed By NHjo
To like Slab pizza, you have to like Sicilian pizza because it's very doughy. However, they also have thin-crust pizza, which I unfortunately realized after I ordered. I got the cheese and tomato 1-lb 'slab', and it was good -- nice flavor, crust, and sauce -- but too doughy for me, which is personal taste and no reflection on Slab. Next time I'll get the thin-crust. Nice atmosphere, good service, a few tempting craft cocktails and a great selection of Maine craft drafts. The 70's soul/R&B music that was playing was a nice 'blast from the past' -- don't hear much of that these days.
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7. JP's Bistro
Overall Ratings
4 based on 166 reviews
Reviewed By nsilv00
in true Italian style JPs offers big delicious meals in a small loud room. donât go here for a quiet romantic dinner. food was tasty, huge menu, good deserts. definitely a great Portland spot outside the peninsula. marinara isnât the best iâve ever had but itâs good. i do recommend this place. for a traditional Italian meal.
Most Popular Mediterranean food in Portland, Maine, United States
6. Paciarino
Overall Ratings
4 based on 365 reviews
Reviewed By Harley L
We love this place; going here since it opened. No pretentions. Home made pastas, dynamite sauces, super friendly down home atmosphere, open kitchen and all food fresh. Try the venison ragu if they have it; done over wonderful pasta like a bolognaise which itself ain't bad at all. Simple, well done and to the point
5. Ribollita
Overall Ratings
4 based on 315 reviews
Reviewed By MikeandSarah
Cozy place in a very foodie city, has been here a long time, inside spiffed up with warm and welcoming interior. Last time here was over 20 years ago. Expensive very good Italian wine list. Super service from all three of the young women who had anything to do with taking care of us. Food average; one of the chicken saltimbocca was so dry Mrs had hard time eating it. They very nicely brought out a tiramisu to her on the house as they perceived she wasnât too happy with the main course, on the house. All in all a pleasant evening with very good old friends.
4. Piccolo
Overall Ratings
4 based on 158 reviews
Modern Italian restaurant with cuisine inspired from the humble foods of Southern and Central Italy that incorporates local Maine products.
Reviewed By ScottH900
This tiny restaurant is a wonder. Just 8 tables and a half dozen seats at a bar--it would be full with about 25 guests total--Piccolo does it right on all levels. The 2 servers doubled as bartender, making among other things generous and great Negronis. Every bite savored by my wife and me was near perfection, starting with the crazy good warm olives. The chef clearly has the time to give every plate attention, including the outrageously delicate peekytoe crab salad I had. Just a few simple ingredients--corn kernels, lettuce, crab, paper-thin shaved radishes, a sweet corn sauce and a basil oil ring around it all--and it was divine. We split a pasta dish of housemade cavatelli in an unctuous, deeply flavored lamb neck ragu. Amazing. Our entrees were also spot on, including my black bass with crispy skin and buttery, melt in your mouth flesh. All sauces, vegetables, and sides show a lot of love and display the fruits of long, slow, patient cooking. Our servers were great and had significant wine knowledge too. This was a most memorable evening! Cannot recommend it enough.
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3. Solo Italiano Restaurant
Overall Ratings
4 based on 245 reviews
Restaurant located in front of Harbor Fish Market on where Commercial and Pearl Streets meet. Entrance on Commercial St.
Reviewed By winelover11
Given the ambience and presentation of authenticity, Solo does not deliver like they should. On arrival, I made a Rez but was told Open Table accepted it, but "we're not seating and in this area, so we don't really have a table". However, she did end up seating us in that area, not a great introduction. Olive oil does not compliment sourdough bread that tastes like rye, and the olive oil could be better quality. The heirloom tomatoes, prosciutto and fresh mozz were delicious. The eggplant was pressed too hard and was really tough. It also needed more sauce. The one pasta dish on our table was over cooked. I will say the strip steak was perfectly cooked med-rare and really delicious. The bread sticks we're not light and crisp, they seemed mildly stale. The focaccia was odd and the cookies were rather tasteless and just crumbled apart when you tried to eat them. You just want a really good piece of semolina bread with Italian food, and perhaps almond floured cookies. I know semolina is not popular in northern Italy, but even plain crusty Italian bread would be better. Loved the wine list. Plenty of Italian wines to choose from.
2. OTTO
Overall Ratings
4 based on 534 reviews
Since 2009 when we opened our first slice shop on Congress Street in downtown Portland, we've been striving to elevate the pizza experience. It starts with the ingredients - high quality, local when possible - and the toppings - creative and comforting. M
Reviewed By forrestjb
This is an adorable and tasty place for some thin crust pizza. Great food and great staff too. Could stand to invest in a better ac system though. (Summers arenât going to get any cooler, people)Thanks for the kind words about the food and staff. We hear you on the A/C -- we're working on this! We hope to serve you again soon!
1. Micucci Grocery
Overall Ratings
4 based on 255 reviews
Reviewed By SanFranciscoGuy634
This is Portland's "place to go" for all the sorts of ingredients that you may be less likely to find in regular big supermarkets. Charcuterie. Cheeses. Pastas. Sauces. You get the idea. If that's what you are looking for, check out Micucci Grocery. We bought a lot.
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